The University of California has added marquee player to their 2013 freshman class. Jabari Bird of Salesian High in Richmond California has committed to the Golden Bears program, according to a report in the San Jose Mercury News.

Bird is a 6-5 shooting guard that ranks among the top high school players in the nation by Scout.com (who ranked him 16th) and Rivals.com (who ranked him 24th). A family connection may have helped him make a decision – Bird’s father Carl starred for the Golden Bears in the 70s, leading the team in scoring in 1976.

Bird shunned offers from the University of Colorado, the University of Oregon, and the University of Washington to attend Cal.

Five-star high school standout Jabari Bird won’t have to travel far when he leaves for college next year. The Richmond, Calif. product announced Tuesday evening that he will attend the University of California next year and play for the Bears, according to Ryan Gorcey of BearTerritory.net:

“It was just hanging out with the team,” Bird said. “It was getting to know them a little bit better. I got to be on campus a lot more. I just knew that Cal was the place for me to be.”

The commitment won’t become official until the early-signing period begins on Nov. 14. Bird is the first five-star player since former NBA star Leon Powe to commit to Cal. Gorcey said that Pac-12 coaches believed as far back as January that Bird would go to Cal. His last visit to the school was Sept. 1, and he was reportedly set to make visits to three other schools in September, including one to Washington.

“I’m not going on any more visits; I’m committed,” Bird said.

A McDonald’s All-American candidate, Bird has already separated himself from other top players in the country. At the Under Armour Elite-24 camp in August, he had 20 points and three assists. Fellow five-star players Marcus Lee and Aaron Gordon, who was also at the Elite-24 workout, accompanied Bird during his last visit to Cal but there’s no word on their decisions yet.